Dear Friends,
If you’ve tried to find me on Facebook and failed, it’s because I’m not on it. I relinquished the control that social media had on my life (except this website) about six months ago and it feels great! No more can I stalk the random girl I did not care about in college and internalize minute jealousy that she’s engaged before me, and no longer do I keep tabs on every drunken hook-up I had in college. Because the reality of it is, who the ___ cares?
So you can imagine my surprise when I sign onto LinkedIn for work more frequently, and see a button pop up that says, “People you may know.” I always look because, well, social media is like a bad car accident: if it’s in front of you, you’re going to stare. It used to creep me out a little bit, given that it linked me to people I may have had one or less class in college with, and maybe my rabbi popped up once or twice. But, nothing compared to how it creeped me out since I’ve moved to New York.
I logged in yesteday and the “People you may know” button pops up. I take a look, and my mouth drops. Here lies some random person I met at a party, and the last three set-ups I’ve had. All with a click of a button, as if Big Brother is following me around Manhattan and taking everybody’s business card to whom I share fake laughter with. Then, I realize something: LinkedIn IS Facebook for smart people (or at least for whom have job titles) and then I’m defeated. I haven’t been relinquished of social media for six months — LinkedIn has invaded my privacy — it knows who I’m dating!! Can I get some privacy settings please?
At least LinkedIn doesn’t have status updates with people “out of your network” even though LinkedIn knows damn well they’re theoretically in my network that’s why they patronize me with such people listed under “People I may know.” It’d be like, “Josh Goldberg – “I liked my other set-up better, and please make me a 5th connection to Jessica Barraco.” LinkedIn is exclusive that way. It would be.
I’m at a standstill, I mean, I need LinkedIn, but I don’t need it to patrnoize me with the events of last weekend on a professional sector. I’m a damsel in social media distress. I guess at the end of the day, though, LinkedIn has a point. Those people out of my network, should probably stay there.
Kisses,
Jessica
